


Unmei No Akai Ito

by Burrahobbit



Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Fate & Destiny, LGBTQ Themes, No protagonist, Polyamory, Red String of Fate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-06 10:36:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13409448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burrahobbit/pseuds/Burrahobbit
Summary: 運命の赤い糸 (red string of fate): 運命 (unmei,fate) の (no,possessive article) 赤い (akai,red) 糸 (ito,string)Ever since she can remember, Monika has been able to see the red threads of fate that connects one to their soulmate. It's incredibly rare, and often considered a sign of being blessed.Monika finds she doesn't care all that much for the ideas of fate and destiny, even with two red strings tied around her pinky finger.Fate, however, does not stop for anyone.





	Unmei No Akai Ito

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a short, sweet little soulmate au... look where we are now.  
> I mostly did this because there are _no_ soulmate au fics for the DDLC tag, and that was unacceptable. So, here's some of that good Polyamory for you.

Monika shifts the pile of posters in her hands, tape roll dangling out of her mouth. She maneuvers the stack under her armpit, then tapes one up to the wall.

She wasn't used to doing this by herself. Back in the debate club, people would help her - or even do it for her, when she had climbed the political ladder.

No reason to get discouraged, she reminds herself.

Taking the tape out of her mouth, Monika continues down the hallway. 

When she reaches another empty section, she attempts the same juggling of objects as before. 

"Do you need help?" she hears a voice call.

Slowly, she turns towards the person, trying not to drop anything. Before she can answer, the posters are taken from her hands. 

"Eh? A Literature Club?" 

The girl before her has short hair and bright blue eyes, looking curiously down at the posters. Monika recognizes her from one of her classes. 

"I thought you were in the debate club...?" 

"Oh, yes, I was, but I quit to make my own club." 

"Cool-! How many members do you have?" 

Monika chuckles nervously, pushing some hair away from her face. "I'm... actually the only one." 

The girl smiles brightly, confusing Monika. 

"Guess you just got one new member," she says. "I'm Sayori, by the way." 

Sayori looks down the hall, then back at Monika. "Let's go hang these posters up, ehehe-!" 

She begins walking down the hall, a skip in her step, expecting Monika to follow. 

Her new member has a bright red string tied around her pinky like everyone else, trailing on the floor right to... 

_Her._

Heart beating faster, Monika rushes after one of her soulmates, cursing at fate for doing this to her. 

They finish hanging up the posters quickly with two people, then head back to the classroom Monika was borrowing for the club. 

She hadn't actually been in it yet, since it was normally a third-year class. 

Monika pushed open the door, letting them both inside. 

The classroom seems just like every other, except for the red string tied to the floor. 

It's strange enough to make Monika still, staring at the floor. 

"Uhhhh... everything okay?" 

Snapping out of her shock, Monika smiles at her new member. "Y-yeah, sorry about that!" 

“Oh. Well, I’m glad!” Sayori looks around the classroom herself, nodding slowly. “This’ll work! I can already imagine this place full of people, all sharing their favorite books, making friends, all that!” 

Monika glances at the optimistic girl. What could she possibly have done that destiny decided to give her such a wonderful soulmate? 

For the first time in a while, she finds herself wondering who will be her other soulmate. It’s something she hasn’t let herself ponder much, deciding that it was pointless to think about things she had no control over. But now that she’s met one of them… 

Soulmates are destined to be together - but now that she knows hers, wouldn’t that mean she doesn’t have to fall in love with them? 

Sayori shakes her a little, snapping her out of her deep thoughts. 

“A-ah! Sorry, I guess I’m just kinda out of it today.” 

Sayori laughs, pulling away. “I get the feeling. I have trouble just waking up in the morning!” 

Monika takes a deep, calming breath, then looks around the room herself. 

“We might have to re-arrange the desks, since this isn’t very conducive to a friendly reading environment, but… I agree. I just hope some others do, too…” 

 

The third member they get is not her soulmate, but rather a petite girl named Natsuki with her string tied to the club room floor.

The fourth one, however, is. Yuri is a beautiful, elegant girl with long hair and a love of books, and is most definitely her soulmate. 

Monika sighs and rubs her forehead, cursing at her own ability, and at this club that brought them all together. 

She doesn't tell them that they're her soulmates, nor does she mention Natsuki's own odd predicament. She just wants to be a normal high school girl. 

Of course, even she can no longer resist the temptation of power that has been put into her hands. 

Waving goodbye to the members at the end of the day, Monika stays after as she usually does to clean up and lock the doors.

Instead, however, she kneels down at the front of the classroom. 

The red string is tied to something invisible on the floor. As easy as can be, she takes the thread in her hands and pulls it from its knot. 

Just like that, the thread is in her hands, waiting for her own guidance to decide who will be Natsuki’s soulmate. 

Metaphorical gears are already turning in her head, wondering if Natsuki has shown romantic interest in anyone lately. She wishes she knew Natsuki a little better so this would be easier to figure out. 

 _Think,_ Monika. 

Really, the only people she’s seen Natsuki hanging out with anymore is… 

Monika knows what she has to do. 

With shaking hands and a quickly beating heart, she ties the red string to her own pinky. 

This is an awful thing to do, but… Natsuki can't be soulmates with a floor. Obviously, there'a some mistake. 

Is it possible for fate to mess up…? 

Either way, the deed is done, and Monika stanks, dusting off her skirt. For someone who doesn't like destiny, she sure is putting her own hand in it. 

She leaves the classroom a few minutes later, the rest of her duties done. 

Her strings spread out as she walks, and she realizes she could easily go to any of their houses right now. Though the thought is tempting, she resists the impulse. She’s not crazy, after all. 

Going to sleep that night, she really hopes the third string stays, even when her watchful eyes close. 

The next day, she’s not quite sure how to feel when she sees all three still attached to her pinky. Probably happy, since she was the one who got herself into this mess, but all she really feels is butterflies in her stomach. 

It’s actually kind of interesting to see the strings moving around, now, knowing the people at the other ends of them. 

In a way, meeting these people has actually made her a little more positive towards the idea of soulmates - from an objective view, of course. 

Have experiments been done on this sort of thing, or is Monika the first one to ever play with fate? Knowing humanity, she doubts she is, but who would ever document such a thing? 

She’s gotten lost in her head again, not even noticing that she’s walked all the way to school. 

With slight nervousness about facing the club, she goes to her first class. 

Unfortunately, the day speeds by in a blur, Monika not really paying much attention, and it's already time for the club. 

Trying to act normal, Monika enters the classroom and puts her stuff down, opening a book she'd been reading recently. 

One by one, the other club members joined her in the room, each going about their usual business. 

Except Yuri, who sits beside her silently, looking as if she wants to say something, but is nervous. 

Monika replaces her bookmark and turns to Yuri, smiling. 

"Hello Yuri!" 

The shy girl gives a small smile back, playing with a piece of her hair.

"As you know, the festival is coming up soon, and... I was wondering if we were going to be doing anything." 

The festival had actually completely slipped Monika's mind. Keeping her cool, she quickly thought of something to say. 

"We will! I was thinking... we could recite poems we've written!" 

Yuri's expression turns to one of horror. "R-recite poems... i-in front of so many people?" 

Monika shrugs, feeling a little guilty for having momentarily forgotten about Yuri's stage fright. 

"I-I won't force you to do anything you don't want to, of course! I just... I thought it would be a fun way to share our passion for literature in a way that's fun and interesting," Monika says, backtracking a little. "We could also let people come up and recite their favorite poems as well." 

Yuri considers this, an intense expression on her face. 

"It... sounds like a wonderful idea, actually. I will attempt to get over my own fears, as to not disappoint the club... or you." 

Monika feels her chest clench uncomfortably. 

"You could never disappoint me, Yuri. If you're afraid of messing up..." She lights up with an idea. "We could try sharing poems with each other first, to get comfortable with it." 

Yuri looks up from the hair she'd been messing with, her beautiful eyes landing on Monika. 

"A-are you sure about this?" 

Monika gives her a confident smile. "One hundred percent." 

"Then... okay. I trust you." 

They hold a club meeting to discuss it - Sayori is very positive to everything, while Natsuki thinks they're stupid, which is all pretty par for the course. 

By the end of the Club, however, they've all agreed to go home and write poems to share the next day. 

Monika goes home once club period has ended, trying to think of what her poem should be about. Though she’d love to express this frustration she’s been feeling over her soulmates, she knows for sure that it would end badly. 

Instead, she writes about music, and the rush she feels getting better at piano - just hoping that’ll be enough. 

 

They’ve got a couple weeks to prepare for the festival, and all the club members are on board with Monika’s plan. Everything is going fine, and no one suspects a thing, despite the crushes Monika has begun to develop for her members. 

That is, until Yuri invites her over to look at the decorations and atmospheric enhancements she’s been preparing. 

Yuri’s house is gigantic compared to her own. She nervously knocks on the door, folding her hands together afterwards. 

She hears a faint, “One moment!” come from inside, then her oldest member is opening the door, smiling.

Admittedly, it’s a little weird to see Yuri wearing a light turtleneck and yoga pants instead of her usual uniform. 

“Hello, Monika, y-you look lovely… U-uh, please, come in.” 

Taking off their shoes, the two walk further into the nice house. The floors are practically mirrors with how clean and reflective they are. 

“...E-everything is up in my room,” Yuri says quietly. 

“Lead the way.” 

They make their way upstairs and to what Monika assumes must be Yuri's bedroom. 

The hardwood floor is covered in art supplies and various other things. 

Yuri looks nervously at Monika. "S-sorry about the mess..." 

"It's no problem," Monika reassures her, carefully picking her way across the room to an empty spot, which she sits in. 

It's really the only empty spot in the room, so Yuri sits close beside her, nudging her slightly in the process. 

"S-sorry!" 

Monika puts a careful hand on her friend's shoulder. "There's really no need to apologize so much." 

Taking a calming breath, Yuri reaches in front of her and pulls over a banner. It's beautifully made, fading from the bright colors of the sunset to the darkness of night, stars spotting the latter end. 

Monika scoots forward, accidentally brushing her leg against Yuri's. 

She takes a closer look at the banner. Yuri definitely put a lot of work into this. 

"It looks amazing! I can imagine it hanging up in the clubroom now..." 

Blushing, Yuri turns her head away, taking a piece of hair into her hands to nervously play with. 

"T-thank you..." 

They move on to looking at candles, which Yuri seems much more confident in, barely stuttering at all. She lights one of her favorites so Monika can smell it for herself. 

"Mmmh." Monika can already tell what it is. "This one's lavender, right?" 

"Yes, it is. One of the most soothing scents, often used for stress relief or ro- ah, r-relaxation." 

Monika furrows her brow. Yuri suddenly seems more flustered than she had before. 

"L-lets move on!" Yuri suggests, obviously trying to distract from whatever had happened. "I was thinking about... using the candles for mood lighting as well. We could close the blinds and dim the lights." 

"Are you sure it'll be bright enough to navigate the room?" 

Yuri nods, then gets an idea, closing the blinds in her room. She lights more of the candles and clears a bigger space around them, to ensure nothing catches on fire. Then, she goes and turns off the lights in her room. 

Yuri was right - there is more light filling the room than Monika originally thought there would be. 

The other girl slowly makes her way back, pausing as she looks at Monika's face. 

Something must go through her head, because she's flustered once again, grabbing a piece of her hair as she usually does when she's nervous. 

"Is something wrong?" Monika asks. 

This seems to put Yuri back into motion, laughing nervously as she sits down. "N-no, sorry about that." 

"I think the lighting is nice. I suppose I should have trusted your judgement." 

"I-it's fine! As club president, it's your responsibility to worry about these things..." 

Monika reaches out towards Yuri, then pulls back, reconsidering. Who knows what could worsen her friend's already nervous state? 

She suddenly realizes how romantic the lighting is, casting shadows against Yuri's face, and her heart beats faster. Maybe that was what set Yuri off... 

Looking down to the red strings on her pinky, she steels herself. She'd never been one for following destiny, but... 

Here goes nothing. 

Surging forward, Monika captures Yuri's lips with her own, one hand gently holding the other girl's hip. 

The other girl tenses against her, and Monika pulls away. Could this have been too soon? 

"I... I'm sorry-" 

"N-no!" Yuri bites her lip, her hands shaking slightly. "I just... wasn't expecting that. I didn't even know you were interested in..." 

"In girls?" 

Yuri nods silently. 

"I suppose I've never really thought about it. This just... felt right." 

It's true. Even without the certainty of knowing they were soulmates, Monika probably would have still kissed her. 

Slowly, Yuri brushes some of Monika's hair behind her ear. They're close again, Yuri glancing down at her lips. 

She lets Yuri kiss her this time, putting her hand back on her hip like before. 

Even with the tension gone, Monika can still feel her heart beating faster than normal. 

"There's... there's something I have to tell you," Monika says, pulling back. 

Yuri's face falls, clearly expecting Monika to say something bad. 

"I can see the strings of fate," Monika says before she can change her mind. 

There's a beat of silence as the two girls stare at each other. Monika's heart is racing in her chest. 

"A-are... are we...?" 

"You're my soulmate," Monika confirms. "But... you're not the only one." 

"D-do you... know who the other is?" 

Monika folds her hands together, looking away. 

Yuri leans forward, unfolding Monika's hands and taking them in her own. 

"Whatever you are about to say... I want you to know that I'm not going to hate you, or leave you. We're soulmates, which means we're destined to be together." 

Nodding, Monika clears her throat. Even with that reassurance, she still feels nervous. 

"It's a long story but... I actually have two others, and I know who both of them are." 

Yuri is now kneeling now rather than sitting, looking almost eager. "Well, then we should get us all together, right? Let me help you. Who are they?" 

"That's the thing... it's Sayori and Natsuki." 

"...Oh." 

"Yeah..." 

"Well, I suppose we'll just have to woo them." 

"W-what?! Woo them?" 

"With your determination and beauty, and my knowledge of atmosphere and romance, I'm sure we can accomplish this task." 

Monika blushes - did Yuri really just call her beautiful? 

Yuri stands and turns on the lights, starting to clean up the floor a little. "We'll need a plan of action. A slower build-up would probably be best, but we don't have nearly as much time as I would prefer until the festival..." 

Monika stands as well. "Well, would we do it during or after the club?" 

"After. A one-on-one experience will be better." 

As they clean up, they make a plan to get Monika with her soulmates - it's weirdly thorough, actually. 

"We'll have to figure out what gets them in a romantic mood, as well," Yuri says. "It'll make them more inclined to act, just like you did with me." 

"Um... I actually do have a question concerning that..." 

"What is it?" 

"W-what... what made you like me?" 

Yuri smiles shyly, pausing in her cleaning. "At first, it was your beauty - I had feelings for you long before the Literature Club. But once I got to know you..." Yuri takes Monika's hand and squeezes it gently. "It was everything about you. Your intelligence, your creativity, and the hard-work you put into making the club what it is now." 

Monika hides her face in her hand, hot with embarrassment from all the compliments. 

Yuri takes Monika's hand away from her face and kisses her. 

It doesn't last long, the girls quickly getting back to work.

Half an hour later, the room is clean and they have a pretty solid plan.

“Thank you for helping me… and for coming over,” Yuri says.

“It’s really you I should be thanking. You’ve been incredibly supportive.”

“Don’t thank me yet.”

The two girls say goodbye, Monika going home with newfound hope.

 

Their plan doesn’t really go into effect until Natsuki asks for her opinion on some cupcakes she’s thinking about making for the festival.

Seeing the opportunity at hand, Monika invites her over to bake them, saying that it’s so she can try them first hand.

Inviting Natsuki over means that Yuri and Monika have plenty of time to set everything up the way they want.

Natsuki comes over on Saturday, bringing with her a few supplies. She’d asked Monika to get the actual ingredients, and she’d happily obliged.

The other girl looks adorable, wearing a black shirt with some kind of anime logo on it, along with a short white skirt.

They make their way into the kitchen, Natsuki herself beginning to set things up. She instructs Monika on a couple of things she can help with, then they get to work.

It’s not like she’s ever been very good at baking, but with Natsuki’s instruction, she actually feels useful.

Despite Natsuki’s sometimes harsh tone or biting words, she begins to let her guard down a little, even complimenting Monika from time to time on her work.

She feels a little flustered after each one, but also exhilarated, hoping it means their plan is actually working.

They finally put the cupcake tray into the oven, each little sweet nearly perfect.

“Um…” Monika takes a steadying breath. Time for the next step. “You mind if I light some scented candles? They help relax me.”

Natsuki shrugs. “I don’t really care. It’s your house.”

Slightly nervous but covering it up, Monika goes to her room and pulls out the candles Yuri had given her.

Let’s hope they work as well as last time…

She puts them on the kitchen counter and quickly lights them all with a match. Soon, the scent of lavender fills the room.

Natsuki sniffs the air then nods to herself. “Not bad…”

Monika smiles, leaning against the island in her kitchen. “I’m glad you like them. They’re lavender.”

Natsuki says, “I- I knew that!”

“Lavender is a pretty unique smell… It kinda reminds me of you.”

Blushing, Natsuki crosses her arms. “Thought they’d remind you more of Yuri, with all her sophistication.”

Monika bumps the other girl lightly with her shoulder. “What kind of scent would you be, then?”

After thinking for a moment, Natsuki answers. “Rose, maybe? Those are pretty nice smelling.” She pauses, looking over at Monika. “You’d probably be a honeysuckle, or something like that.”

Monika giggles, feeling her heart rate go up. “Rose? Are you a secret romantic, Natsuki?”

Natsuki’s blush deepens. “Ew, n-no way!”

“What’s wrong with being a romantic?” Monika asks. “I consider myself romantic at times.”

“Oh yeah?” Natsuki bites her lip, looking conflicted. “What… what kind of people are you into?”

Smiling nervously, Monika plays with the hem of her shirt. “Are you asking me if I’m gay?”

Natsuki tenses, looking down at the floor. “Y-you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“I’m pansexual.”

“O-oh.” Natsuki looks almost surprised, but Monika can’t really make out her expression with her mostly looking down.

“What about you?” Monika prompts.

“M-me? I’m… I’m honestly not really sure. I like girls, and I like boys, but that’s all I’ve really figured out.”

“That’s fair enough.”

The timer goes off soon after, startling them both.

Putting them on the counter, Natsuki takes her oven mitts off, then hands Monika an icing bag. Both girls make quick work of the cupcakes together, though Natsuki is obviously more practiced.

It’s time to eat them now, and they each take one of the cupcakes out of the pan. Natsuki bites in first, Monika following quickly after.

To be frank, it’s delicious, though it’s to be expected from the other girl at this point.

Natsuki suppresses a giggle. “You’ve, ah, got some icing around your mouth.”

With surprisingly little hesitation, Monika responds, “Well, why don’t you come get it off.”

It seems as though Natsuki isn’t sure at first that she’d heard right her eyebrows furrowed. She glances down at Monika’s lips, then back up at her face.

Slowly, slowly, she leans forward, eyes shut tight. More confident, Monika closes her own eyes and connects their mouths.

For a moment, they’re kissing, then Natsuki pulls back, her face beat red.

“I- I have to go!” she says, rushing out the door without getting her stuff, leaving Monika alone in the kitchen.

Sighing, Monika wipes off the icing from her mouth with a napkin. She really thought she’d gotten everything right…

No matter. Obviously Natsuki was attracted to her - she just needed time.

Monika pulls out her phone, clicking on Yuri’s contact.

“...Hello?” Yuri answers.

“Hey. The plan… kinda worked, kinda failed. We kissed, but she left in a hurry right after.”

There’s a pause as her girlfriend considers this. “I suppose we’ll just have to give her space.”

“I think so, too. Hopefully she’ll turn around.”

“She will,” Yuri assures her. “Soulmates are meant to be.”

Monika doesn’t mention how Natsuki was never meant to be her soulmate.

“Well, Sayori’s last. I’ll see if she can come over tomorrow.”

“That would be excellent. If not, we still have time.”

They talk for a little longer before Monika hangs up, changing over to her texts.

Monika: Hey Sayori, you wanna come over tomorrow?

Monika: I wanted to work on the pamphlets.

She only has to wait a few minutes before Sayori texts her back.

Sayori: Oh, yeah

Sayori: Don’t see why we can’t do it online though?  
Monika: Well, why wouldn’t I want to hang out with my vice-pres?

Sayori: /////// aw, you’re so sweet! See ya tomorrow

With that, Monika texts about her success to Yuri, who wishes her good luck.

 

Sayori comes over around noon, bringing nothing but her purse.

Monika invites Sayori inside, the latter taking off her shoes in the entryway.

They head to Monika’s bedroom, getting right to work.

Pulling out a piece of paper and pencil, Monika draws a light sketch of the general look she wants the pamphlets to have.

There’s a couple of things Sayori adds, but she mostly agrees with her friend’s design.

“Ah, I’m guessing we’re gonna type this up?”

“Yeah, that’s what I’m planning. I’m kinda stuck in between these two fonts, though…”

They’re pretty similar fonts, with only slight differences.

Sayori considers the two fonts, looking back and forth between them.

The two girls are sitting on the bed, sitting close together so they can both look at the computer screen.

“I’m not sure, Monika… they’re both good!”

Monika frowns. “Yeah, I know, that’s why I wasn’t sure which one to choose…”

Sayori looks at the fonts again, considering them closer. “I think… that one.” She points to the former of the fonts. “It looks a little less blocky.”

“Thank you!” Monika deletes the other font from the document. “Let’s get to writing.”

Since they only have one computer, they take turns writing, each peering over the other’s shoulder when it’s not their turn to write.

Monika ends up being the faster typer, but she also tends to make more mistakes, which means she has to go back more often to fix things.

They end up with a pretty nice looking pamphlet, but it’s a bit boring.

“Maybe we could add some fancy border?” Sayori suggests. “At least to the front page.”

Nodding along, Monika looks at the different borders they can use.

In the end, they put a simple but elegant border on only the front page, figuring it would just clutter the inside too much.

They don’t print it yet, however, since not all the girls have chosen their poems. Monika already has hers, as does Yuri, but Natsuki and Sayori have been a little more indecisive.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it,” says Monika. “The important part is having confidence in your work.”

Sayori pouts a bit. “I know! I just really want to make a good first impression…”

After a moment, Monika stands up and puts a song on, making sure it’s loud enough to fill the whole room. Then she starts dancing, making Sayori giggle.

“What are you doing-?”

Monika smiles widely at her. “What does it look like?” She pauses her movements and holds a hand out. “Care to join me?”

Sayori takes the hand without a second thought.

It’s a fairly upbeat song, both of them getting their groove on easily. They both look goofy, but neither cares much.

The girls are smiling and laughing as they jump around and move their hips, enjoying themselves to the fullest.

After that comes another upbeat song, and Monika takes Sayori’s hands, moving them together. Sayori laughs, copying her movements smoothly.

They end up in a sort of waltz, though neither actually knows how to waltz, so it’s more like their best approximation of it.

With a swell of the music, the song ends.

There’s a beat of silence, then a slower song begins. With a blush, Sayori pulls back a little.

Monika holds fast, but not tight enough that the other girl couldn’t pull away if she wanted to.

Sayori stares at her for a long moment, then returns to her original position.

They begin to dance like before, but more on beat with the slow music. Sayori’s blush deepens, the shorter girl looking away.

Monika pulls her hand away from Sayori’s waist, putting it on her cheek instead.

“M-Monika?” Sayori squeaks.

Saying nothing, Monika shuts her eyes - with her heart beating so fast, she’s not sure she could speak clearly anyways.

She feels lips push against her own, surprising her.

Sayori pulls away after only a moment, taking her hands away. “W-was… was that okay?”

A wide smile breaks out on Monika’s face. “That was very okay.”

“O-oh-!” Sayori lets out a short laugh. “I was- really worried there for a second.”

“I was actually kinda hoping for this…” It’s the understatement of the year.

Teasingly, Sayori slaps Monika’s shoulder gently. “You fox! Luring me into a romantic trap.”

Monika’s smile fades a little as she thinks. “I- there’s something I have to tell you. It’s not bad! Just… complicated.”

She gestures for Sayori to sit down, joining her on the bed as she does.

“I can see the strings of fate, and you’re one of my soulmates, but- I have two others.” She pauses for a moment, taking a breath. “It’s Yuri and Natsuki.”

Monika looks over at Sayori, who has a determined face.

“We have to get them to fall in love with you-!”

“That’s exactly what Yuri said, actually.”

Sayori pouts a little. “You told Yuri before your Vice-Prez?”

Monika shrugs. “Yuri and I kissed first, so she was the first to know.”

Gone is the pout from before - instead Sayori’s face is shining with excitement. “Aw, you two kissed?! Was it romantic? Did fireworks go off? Did you-”

“Sayori, please, you’re getting sidetracked.”

The other girl deflates a bit. “Whoops.”

“My point is, I’ve told you and Yuri about this, but Natsuki kind of ran away when she kissed me.”

“...So we’ve gotta get you two together?”

Monika nods, saying, “Exactly. And I have an idea of how to do just that…”

 

Sayori and Monika are sitting next to each other, the former of which is practically buzzing with happiness.

“You have to act natural,” Yuri reminds her, going to her seat.

Folding her hands together, Sayori attempts to calm herself down.

It’s then that Natsuki enters quietly, slinking to the closet.

The two girls start up a conversation, Yuri opening her book and beginning to read a few rows behind them.

Natsuki comes out with a volume of manga minutes later, her eyes immediately landing on Monika.

She watches them for a few minutes, a blush quickly forming on her cheeks. The two pretend not to notice, as if completely absorbed in their conversation.

They’re actually talking about a movie they both watched a couple of days ago, which isn’t particularly interesting, but it’s really the acting that matters here.

Monika slows their conversation to listen in as Natsuki goes up to Yuri.

“Doesn’t that bother you?”

Yuri looks up from her book. “What?”

Natsuki puts a hand on her hip. “Those two, acting all… ugh.”

“I don’t understand why it would be any of my business,” Yuri responds coolly.

“B-but they’re doing it in the middle of the club!”

Yuri shrugs, looking back down at her book. “If it bothers you so much, do something about it.”

This is apparently all the prompting Natsuki needs, the shorter girl marching up to the front row.

“M-Monika!” Natsuki says, stopping in front of them.

Said girl puts on a confused face. “What’s up? Something wrong?”

“Wha- yes! You- you’re-” Natsuki can’t seem to come up with an excuse for why what they’re doing is bad. She stumbles for several seconds, and Monika worries that maybe the plan won’t work.

Then Natsuki is surging forward, kissing Monika right in front of Sayori.

“T-that’s what’s wrong…” says Natsuki.

There’s a moment of silence as everyone stares at her.

Sayori’s excited squeal breaks the silence. “Oh my gosh, that was so amazing! I can’t believe your plan worked! Well, I can, but- you get what I mean!”

Natsuki furrows her brow. “I- I don’t get it. Is this some kind of joke?!”

“No, no, not a joke,” Monika assures her.

Yuri joins them up front as Monika explains the situation, just as she has two times before.

When she’s finished, Natsuki nods in understanding. “Okay… so, what, are we all dating now?”

“It can really be however you want,” Monika says. “You’re all tied to me, but that doesn’t keep you from dating each other, I suppose.”

Natsuki looks at Yuri and Sayori, then fake gags.

Sayori pushes her playfully, and Yuri rolls her eyes, a smile on her face.

“Well, at least this all had a happy ending,” Yuri says.

Monika thinks back to Natsuki’s string, and how it had been tied to the classroom floor.

“I suppose so,” she agrees, looking down at her string-adorned pinky.

Whatever higher power or fate had allowed her to do this… thank you.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this! It took me a lot longer than I thought it would, since I kept coming up with more and more ideas... I'm happy with the result, though!


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